Ruminations

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Bread, and that's not all

Recipes: This is a Little Red Hen moment. I ground the wheat and the groats, harvested the honey (just kidding), baked the bread, and I'm keeping it ALL TO MYSELF. Naw, I'll share. I have two good whole wheat recipes I like. One is super easy and one is super confusing. I made the confusing one today and it doesn't even taste as good as the easy one. You'd think I'd learn. So here's the easy recipe: (Note - use freshly ground wheat, if you can. It just tastes better).

In 2 cup measuring cup, Dissolve 1 tsp. sugar into 2 C. warm milk (or water if you want). Add 1 Tbs. yeast and let rise about 5 minutes.

Combine in mixing bowl (Kitchenaid or Bosch, or whatever):

2 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. oil

3 Tbs. honey

Stir in 3 cups flour (I use mostly whole wheat with about 1 cup oat flour). Add yeast mixture, and mix well. Mix in 3 more cups flour. Continue adding flour a little at a time until it forms a ball and just pulls away from the sides. Coat inside of bowl with a little oil or cooking spray, turning ball of dough into it to coat dough.

Cover. Let rise twice (20-30 minutes each time) in a warm area. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. After 25 minutes or so you can cover the bread loosely with foil if it reaches desired brown color before finished (to prevent over-browning).

Makes for a good toast.

Running: If only I could figure out an "R" word that encompassed all workouts. I didn't run today, I biked on my bike trainer. 45 minutes of that plus some fiddling around with the chin-up bar. Legs AND arms are now quivering. Ten days until Marathon #5.

Reading: Hooray for my pal Sarah for not letting me give up on "A Mercy"! After struggling through chapter one, I was done. No more. Not worth it. I had a million justifications why I couldn't/wouldn't finish it when I tried to return Sarah's book. But guess what? She wouldn't take it back. Nope. She sent me back out the door, book still in hand, with a promise on my lips to at least give it another go. I'm only on page 61 and am already smitten. I keep trying to find moments to read it (which is why I'm only on page 61).

Ruminations and Family: This is basically my "everything else" category. Family's doing great, except for Eleanor (5) cleaning the toilet with bleach and my best green towel this evening. And being 20 minutes late to the half-hour-long swimming lessons. And having to forego my already-prepared Cinco de Mayo meal in favor of Little Caesar's pizza. BUT! Jeff had an unusually higher amount of time with the family which was a treat for everyone. And in other news, our painter finished the ceiling - yippee!

Now to record any other memorable things: Today was an unusually peaceful day. My children were so sweet but it was even more than that. It was more than them playing well together and more than things going fairly well. It was a deep inner peace, something more than external quiet and calm. It was something remarkable enough that I want to record this day. And repeat it as often as I can!

It was delightful to find myself wandering around the house this evening with a little smile on my face, feeling relaxed notwithstanding (I LOVE that word) the typical and unpredictable stresses of the day. It is the feeling of sitting in a hot bath with nobody yelling, "M-o-m!" and all chores done, the house clean, the day finished. Amazingly, the peace began at the crack of dawn with my morning prayer, and stayed throughout the day with only minor and momentary departures (depending on who was bleaching my best towel or why the clock refused to turn back as I rushed to swimming lessons). Now I feel drowsily pleasant, pleasantly drowsy (which is probably why I spaced it and was so late to swimming lesson!). I love being with people that bring peace. Jeff was around and brought peace. Other friends, too. Mostly, though, I felt my Heavenly Father's love, help and approval as I tried today to just be a good girl. I certainly can't do it alone, but I don't have to. The great Peacegiver cleansed, warmed and put my soul at ease today. Now that's something worth remembering.


2 comments:

  1. This is a beautiful blog Stephanie. Thanks for sharing it with me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Touching post. That was beautiful.

    ReplyDelete